8 . Chapter 1
childhood education content with the prin-
ciples and methods used in expert training
practices for adult learners.
The Many Reasons to Conduct Training
The purpose of a training session guides
its development and the methods used to
implement the training. You may conduct
training for any of the following reasons:
• to comply with regulatory requirements
• to change teacher behavior
• to implement new policies, programs, or
teaching methods
• to change attitudes
• to develop teamwork and build a sense
of community among teachers
• to improve program quality
Comply with Regulatory Requirements
Most programs have some requirements for
orientation training or for annual training
of employees. For example, your state may
require three hours of training on a variety
of health and safety topics for each new
teacher.
Change Teacher Behavior
One of the most universal purposes of
training is to change on-the-job behavior,
usually to improve practices or to enhance
the quality of the program. For example,
you may conduct a training session
designed to increase the quantity and qual-
ity of teacher-child interactions during out-
door play.
Implement New Policies, Programs,
or Teaching Methods
The way we do things in early childhood
programs changes regularly. Because
research continually informs our practice
and often sparks the use of new teaching
techniques or program ideas, trainings that
support change are continually needed. For
example, if your program is changing its
curriculum to reflect a project approach,
you might conduct a training to introduce
this method to the teachers. When your
program changes its procedures, another
training is usually involved.
Change Attitudes
How teachers think about their practice is
as important as their skills and knowledge
base. Common sense tells us that teach-
ers are more likely to implement practices
they believe are effective and avoid those
practices they do not believe in. Research
consistently shows that teachers’ beliefs
about practices influence what they do in
the classroom (National Research Council
2001, 264–265). Sometimes training is used
to influence teachers’ beliefs and attitudes
in favor of particular methods or practices.
Imagine that you are planning to implement
a series of training sessions to introduce ele-
ments of language and culture among the
families who participate in your program.